New Boys and Girls club in Edmonds to be 3 times bigger

Published 1:30 am Thursday, July 20, 2023

EDMONDS — The Boys & Girls Club is replacing its 100-year-old building in Edmonds with a new facility set to be three times larger.

The new facility, at 310 6th Ave. N, will have a computer lab, a STEM center and a dedicated space for virtual reality headsets, the organization’s Executive Director Bill Tsoukalas said.

It will also have an 8,000-square-foot gym, according to a memo the Boys & Girls Club provided to the Edmonds City Council.

The current brick building has worn-out gym floors and outdated amenities. The lower level is not accessible to people with disabilities. The gym on the second floor is too small for spectators and has no elevator for accessibility, according to the memo.

“It’s hard to bring an old facility up to current standards,” Tsoukalas said.

The new one will be “a bigger and better building,” he said.

The building may open its doors in 18 to 24 months, depending on how long the city’s permitting process and construction take, Tsoukalas said.

The entire project will cost $6 million, with $3.8 million raised so far.

The county chipped in $1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. The new building will allow Boys & Girls Club to provide 50 more child care slots, according to a county press release.

“The lack of child care holds many families back from their ability to work, start business, or go to school,” county executive Dave Somers said in an emailed statement. “We are proud to partner with the Boys & Girls club and support their vital mission with these federal dollars.”

The state gave another $1.385 million after state Sen. Marko Liias wrote a proposal, Tsoukalas said.

Families and businesses have also donated. The donations range from $25,000 to $500,000, Tsoukalas noted.

“People have been very generous,” he said.

Earlier this month, the plans went before the City Council for schematic review and passed with “flying colors,” Tsoukalas said.

Now, the Boys & Girls Club is awaiting permit approval from the city.

The organization will need an exemption for the new facility because it will be 30 feet tall, and city zoning rules require the building to be no taller than 25 feet.

Still, the new facility will be shorter than the current one, Tsoukalas said.

After the city approves the permit, the Boys & Girls Club will demolish the current building to make way for the new one.

The Edmonds Center for the Arts, at 410 4th Ave. N, will house Boys & Girls Club programming during construction, Tsoukalas said.

The new campus will still be at the Civic Center Playfield, which the city acquired from the Edmonds School District in 2015. The playfield has a skate park, an inclusive playground and pickleball courts.

Boys & Girls Club hopes the new facility will “blend in” to the playfield, Tsoukalas said. The organization is considering rooftop solar panels and art on the exterior walls, Tsoukalas said at the City Council meeting.

Edmonds has previously focused on enriching the lives of adults, especially seniors, Tsoukalas said. “It’s the kids’ turn now.”

Surya Hendry: 425-339-3104; surya.hendry@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @suryahendryy.